Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"Now we are talking…" Rain smirked.

Rain did a series of experiments, harnessing his newfound abilities and skillset to create crystalline constructs. At first, he crafted smaller objects made of crystal, like daggers and bolts, meticulously testing and refining his skills in manipulating this newfound material. Gradually, he pushed the boundaries of his abilities, steadily increasing the size and complexity of his creations.

With each iteration, Rain honed his control over the crystal, meticulously shaping and molding it according to his will. His proficiency grew to such an extent that he managed to fashion intricate items like gloves, wherein each finger segment could move independently under his mental command. These crystal gloves boasted unparalleled hardness, a clear sign to Rain's mastery over the material.

As he further explored the limits of his powers, Rain contemplated the possibility of constructing a colossal crystal Megazord dragon. The mere thought of such a creation excited and intrigued him, but he understood the monumental challenge it posed. Crafting a construct of that magnitude would demand astronomical amounts of mana, far beyond anything he had expended before.

"This is a problem… I will look even more suspicious if I decrease the size of the dragon," Rain thought. "Even if I make everything inside hollow… it still will take a stupid amount of mana."

Even with his five rings, Rain would need a month to harness enough mana for the project… and the sun had already set so that the dragons could initiate their next attack at any moment. Fortunately, not everything was bad news…

An unknown skill leveled up.

The Diligence path received 110 experience points.

An unknown skill leveled up.

The Diligence path received 120 experience points.

…

The more he used crystal magic, the more Rain was able to level up that skill, he could feel the technique becoming less and less costly, but it was still a far cry from what he needed. Since he didn't unlock the skill properly, he couldn't make it level up with his mana alone.

"I guess this is my moment to shine," Nigel said. "You have several options. Use these stinky relics around to help solve your problem. You made that woman get a huge deal of power, so she owes you that much."

"I am not a thief, asshole. I am not going to take anything from a friend," Rain said.

"Since you are also not going to take the spear, I guess our options are limited," Nigel said. "The best option that I can think of right now is to… Pan, pan, pan, paaaaaannn… you can create crystals with more ease in extreme cold areas. It will decrease the cost."

Rain thought over Nigel's suggestion regarding the extreme cold conditions to aid in crystal creation. Pondering his options, two distinct and challenging ideas surfaced in his mind. Both ideas, while holding the potential to assist him in reaching his goal, presented difficult challenges in terms of mana cost and time consumption.

The first idea involved journeying to the central continent where the ice dragons dwelled. These dragons created massive snowstorms that enveloped the region in intense cold. Utilizing this natural phenomenon, Rain had an opportunity to harness the extreme cold crystals within this frigid environment.

The second idea was an audacious plan to travel to the dark side of the moon, where temperatures were phenomenally low due to the lack of sunlight. This desolate and icy terrain, isolated from Earth's atmospheric influences, provided an environment of extreme cold that Rain could potentially harness for his crystal crafting.

Yet, journeying to the moon was a monumental task that would drain an exorbitant amount of mana and consume a substantial amount of time as well…

"You have to make up your mind as soon as possible," Larisa said. "Unfortunately, I don't have many ideas regarding this situation. The only thing I can think of to be able to use earth magic more efficiently it is if you were to move to the dragon Golem city. That territory is pretty useful for using magic, and it will decrease the cost to thirty percent of its total.

You can also use magic on a land bathed with dragon's blood, and I bet that the effect would take place quite fast, but not for so long."

Rain wondered why all the answers required him to move elsewhere… Still, he knew that it couldn't be helped, given his own situation and the limitations. However, while thinking of a solution for those issues, Rain actually had a better idea…

Even with all his mana, Rain was able to make a single crystal armor, but didn't create it around himself, it was completely sealed off and no one could enter it.

Rain began to craft a formidable construct—a towering crystal armor resembling a death knight, wielding a massive shield and a spear, standing an imposing three meters tall. The sheer size and intimidating appearance of this crystal creation made it resemble a monstrous guardian, exuding an aura of power and dread.

The armor's design mirrored the imposing figure of a death knight, with intricate details etched into the crystalline structure. Its form exuded an eerie, otherworldly presence, radiating a faint, ethereal ominous that accentuated its foreboding nature.

The crystal armor's helm bore menacing features, resembling a fearsome skull, adorned with sharp, angular edges that lent it an intimidating visage. Translucent, crystalline shards formed the armor plating, fashioned meticulously to resemble overlapping bones, creating an intimidating, skeletal appearance.

Rain began to control the crystal death knight in the warehouse and he was satisfied with the results. It could move insanely fast and do detailed movements. At the same time, the weight of the attacks could make the entire area tremble with the blast of the wind alone.

"It would be better if I could make an automatic soldier, but that would only be the case if the enemies were small fries," Rain thought while nodding to himself. "Without that, it will never work since they can't actually get combat experience."